Beginnings

[Above: greens of the proof-of-concept figures for Iron Mask Miniatures' forthcoming dwarf Musketeers. These test figures are armed with cinquedea swords and daggers. The First Wave figures will be armed with rapiers and main gauche daggers.]

In June of 2011, just as I was settling comfortably into the twilight of my hobby years, I ran across White Knight’s blog. (If you have not seen it, stop reading this and go immediately to White Knight’s Miniature Imperium.) His Renaissance fantasy collection is impressive and the figures he commissions for his collection include the most original and refreshing fantasy dwarves I have seen in years.

White Knight's enterprise inspired me to embark on my own project to commission some Dwarf Musketeers. The popular tradition born in Alexander Dumas’s D’Artagnan novels has been maintained and enhanced in dozens of films and graphic novels. Their archetypal cassock, plumed cavalier hats, dueling gauntlets, flashing rapiers, and broad-topped boots have made the Musketeers synonymous with adventure, intrigue, and swashbuckling derring-do. But the valiant and honored tradition of fantasy dwarves in the service of the King’s Musketeers has been long neglected.
 

I am now in the unexpected position of producing a range of swashbuckling dwarf duelists modeled after the legendary King’s Musketeers of 17th Century France. Not an easy thing for someone with who cannot sculpt, does not draw, and is only an indifferent figure painter.
 

My goal is to develop a range of swashbuckling adventurers for RPGs, dungeon crawling, and skirmish war games. I also plan to have core troops that can be used to build units for massed battles. To this end, I am beginning with dwarf Musketeer duelists and enough special characters to complete a Three Musketeers theme. After that, if I can continue the range, I will add core troops, dwarf duelists in civilian dress, and mounted figures for all of the above.

The figures are sculpted by the incredibly talented John Pickford ("poshgoblin"), who did much of White Knight’s privately commissioned range. Those who want to see more of poshgoblin's work should check out the John Pickford Collector's Guide. This site is part of Clam's Clamshells and Seadogs blog. Clam also maintains the Collecting John Pickford Wiki and even has a few privately commissioned figures of his own, a range of  Ewal Dvergar in the tradition of those spiky and rather short Chaos fellows of the 80s.